Vayu Purana

धर्मार्थी प्राप्नुयाद्धर्ममर्थार्थी चार्थमाप्नुयात् । कामानवाप्नुयात्कामी मोक्षार्थी मोक्षमाप्नुयात् ।। ४७.

One who desires righteousness obtains righteousness; one who desires wealth obtains wealth; one who desires pleasure obtains pleasure; one who desires liberation obtains liberation.

वन्ध्या च लभते पुत्रं वेदवेदाङ्गपारगम्। राजा विजयमाप्नोति शूद्रश्च सुखमाप्नुयात् ।। ४७.

A barren woman obtains a son who is accomplished in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas; a king attains victory; and a Śūdra attains happiness.

पुत्रार्थी लभते पुत्रानभ्यर्च्यादिगदाधरम्। मनसा प्रार्थितं सर्वं पूजाद्यैः प्राप्नुयाद्धरेः ।। ४७.

One who desires sons obtains sons by worshipping the primordial wielder of the mace; whatever is wished for in the mind, all is obtained from Hari through worship and other rites.

गयायात्रां प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रृणु नारद मुक्तिदाम्। निष्कृतिः श्राद्धकर्तॄणां ब्रह्मणा गीयते पुरा ।। ४८.

I will declare the pilgrimage to Gayā, O Nārada, which grants liberation; it is the expiation for performers of śrāddha, as sung by Brahma in ancient times.

उद्यतश्चेद्गयां गन्तुं श्राद्धं कृत्वा विधानतः। विधाय कार्पटीवेशं कृत्वा ग्रामं प्रदक्षिणम् ।। ४८.

If one is intent on going to Gayā, having performed śrāddha according to the prescribed manner, one should adopt the garb of a mendicant and circumambulate the village.

ततो ग्रामान्तरं गत्वा श्राद्धशेषस्य भोजनम्। ततः प्रतिदिनं गच्छेत्प्रतिग्रहविवर्जितः ।। ४८.

Then, having gone to another village, one should eat the remnants of the śrāddha; thereafter, each day one should proceed, avoiding acceptance of gifts.

प्रतिग्रहादुपावृत्तः सन्तुष्टो नियतः शुचिः। अहङ्कारविमुक्तो यः स तीर्थफलमश्नुते ।। ४८.

He who refrains from accepting gifts, is content, disciplined, pure, and free from pride, attains the fruit of the pilgrimage.

यस्य हस्तौ च पादौ च मनश्चापि सुसंयतम्। विद्या तपश्च कीर्तिश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते ।। ४८.

He whose hands and feet and mind are well restrained, whose knowledge, austerity, and fame are established, attains the fruit of the pilgrimage.

ततो गयाप्रवेशे च पूर्वतोऽस्ति महानदी । तत्र तोयं समुत्पाट्य स्नातव्यं निर्मले जले ।। ४८.

Then, at the entrance to Gayā, to the east, there is a great river; there, one should draw water and bathe in the pure waters.

देवादींस्तर्पयित्वाथ श्राद्धं कृत्वा यथाविधिः । स्ववेदशाखागदितमर्घ्यावाहनवर्जितम् ।। ४८.

After offering oblations to the gods and others, and performing śrāddha according to the proper method, one should offer arghya as taught by one's own branch of the Veda, omitting the invocation.

अपरेऽह्नि शुचिर्भूत्वा गच्छेद्वै प्रेतपर्वते । ब्रह्मकुण्डे ततः स्नात्वा देवादींस्तर्पयेत्सुधीः ।। ४८.

On the next day, becoming pure, one should go to the mountain of the departed; then, bathing in the Brahma pond, the wise should offer oblations to the gods and others.

कुर्य्याच्छ्राद्धं सपिण्डानां प्रयतः प्रेतपर्वते। प्राचीनावीतिना भाव्यं दक्षिणाभिमुखः सुधीः ।। ४८.

With devotion, one should perform the śrāddha for the sapiṇḍas at the mountain of the departed, using the prācīnāvīta method, facing south, with a focused mind.

कव्यबालोऽनलः सोमो यमश्चैवार्य्यमा तथा। अग्निष्वात्ता बर्हिषदः सोमपाः पितृदेवताः ।। ४८.

Kavyabāla, fire, Soma, Yama, Aryaman, Agniṣvātta, Barhiṣad, and Somapā are the deities of the ancestors.

आगच्छन्तु महाभागा युष्माभी रक्षितास्त्विह। मदीयाः पितरो ये च कुले जाताः सनाभयः ।। ४८.

May the illustrious ones come here, protected by you; my ancestors, those born in my lineage and kin, are invited.

तेषां पिण्डप्रदानार्थमागतोऽस्मि गयामिमाम्। ते सर्वे तृप्तिमायान्तु श्राद्देनानेन शाश्वतीम् ।। ४८.

For the purpose of offering piṇḍa to them, I have come to this Gaya; may all of them attain eternal satisfaction through this śrāddha.

आचम्योक्ताव च पञ्चाङ्गं प्राणायामं प्रयत्नतः। पुनरावृत्तिरहितब्रह्मलोकाप्तिहेतवे ।। ४८.

After sipping water and reciting the fivefold formula, one should carefully perform prāṇāyāma, for the sake of attaining Brahmaloka without returning.

एवञ्च विधिवच्छ्राद्धं कृत्वा पूर्वं यताक्रमम्। पितॄनावाह्य चाभ्यर्च्य मन्त्रैः पिण्डप्रदो भवेत् ।। ४८.

Thus, having performed the śrāddha according to proper procedure, first as prescribed, and having invoked and worshipped the ancestors with mantras, one should offer the piṇḍa.

तीर्थे प्रेतशिलादौ च चरुणा सघृतेन वा । प्रक्षाल्य पूर्वं तत्स्थानं पञ्चगव्यैः पृथक्पृथक्। तैर्मन्त्रैरथ संपूज्य पञ्चगव्यैश्च देवताम् ।। ४८.

At the sacred place, near the preta stone, or with a rice offering mixed with ghee, one should first cleanse the spot separately with the five products of the cow, then worship the deity with those and with mantras.

यावत्तिला मनुष्यैश्च गृहीता पितृकर्मसु। गच्छन्ति तावदसुराः सिंहत्रस्ता यथा मृगाः ।। ४८.

As many sesame seeds as are taken by people for ancestral rites, so many demons flee, like deer frightened by lions.

अष्टकासु च वृद्धौ च गयायां च मृतेऽहनि । मातुः श्राद्धं पृथक्कुर्यादन्यत्र पतिना सह ।। ४८.

On aṣṭakā days, at the time of increase, at Gaya, or on the day of death, one should perform the mother's śrāddha separately, elsewhere together with the husband.

वृद्धिश्राद्धे तु मात्रादि गयायां पितृपूर्वकम्। पाद्यपूर्वं समारभ्य दक्षिणाग्रकुशैः क्रमात्। पित्रादीनां समास्तीर्य शेषं गृह्योक्तमाचरेत् ।। ४८.

For the vṛddhi śrāddha, beginning with the mother's line at Gaya, and for the ancestors, starting with the offering of water, using kusha grass with the tips to the south, one should arrange for the ancestors and perform the rest as prescribed in the household.

दद्युः श्राद्धं सपिण्डानां तेषां दक्षिणभागतः। कुशानास्तीर्यं विधिना सकृद्दत्वा तिलोदकम् ।। ४८.

They should perform the śrāddha for the sapiṇḍas, placing kusha grass to the south according to the procedure, and after offering, give sesame water once.

गृहीत्वाञ्जलिना तेभ्यः पितृतीर्थेन यत्नतः। सक्तुना मुष्टिमात्रेण दद्यादक्षय्यपिण्डकम्। सम्बन्धिनस्तिलाद्भिश्च कुशेष्वावाहयेत्ततः ।। ४८.

Taking water in the palm for them, with care, using the ancestral tirtha, one should offer the imperishable piṇḍa with a handful of flour; then, using sesame seeds, invoke the relatives onto the kusha grass.

आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्तं देवर्षिपितृमानवाः। तृप्यन्तु पितरः सर्वे मातृमातामहादयः ।। ४८.

May all the ancestors, from Brahma-stambha onwards—divine sages, ancestors, and humans—be satisfied, including maternal and maternal grandfather's lines.

अतीतकुलकोटीनां सप्तद्वीपनिवासिनाम्। आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकादिदमस्तु तिलोदकम् ।। ४८.

For the countless departed of the family, dwelling in the seven continents, from Brahma's world onwards, may this sesame water reach them.

पिता पितामह श्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहः। माता पितामही चैव तथैव प्रपितामही ।। ४८.

Father, grandfather, and great-grandfather; mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother likewise.

मातामहस्तत्पिता च प्रमातामहकादयः। तेषां पिण्डो मया दत्तो ह्यक्षय्यमुपतिष्ठताम् ।। ४८.

Maternal grandfather, his father, and the forefathers of the maternal line; may the piṇḍa I have given to them remain imperishable.

मुष्टिमात्रप्रमाणञ्च ह्यार्द्रामलकमात्रकम्। शमीफत्रप्रमाणं वा पिण्डं दद्याद्गयाशिरे। उद्धरेत्सप्तगोत्राणि कुलानि शतमुद्धरेत् ।। ४८.

One should offer the piṇḍa at Gaya's summit in the measure of a handful, or the size of a moist fruit, or the size of a śamī leaf; it raises seven lineages and a hundred families.

पितुर्मातुः स्वभार्याया भगिन्या दुहितुस्तथा। पितृष्वसुर्मातृष्वसुः सप्त गोत्राः प्रकीर्त्तिताः ।। ४८.

Father, mother, one's own wife, sister, and daughter; paternal aunt and maternal aunt—these seven lineages are declared.